Engine



Jan. 24, 1933.

B. MONTERO ENGINE 'Filed oct. 14, 1951 2 sheets-sheet 1 Jan. 24, 1933. "B MONTERO 1,895,082

ENGINE Filed Oct'. 14, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MW//m ATTORNEYS.

liatented- 1933 I BRUNO MONTERO, F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA miem - AApplication led October 14, 1931. Serial No. 588,755.

This invention relates to a hot air engine.

An object of the invention is to provide improved means to alternately heat and cool the air whereby the pistons of the engine are driven.

More speciically it is an object of the in- Vention to provide an improved collection of heat radiating elements which heat the air in one portion of an elongated piston chamber and to combine with these heating elements an improved set of iffrigerating or cooling elements which cool the air within the remaining portion of a piston chamber.

A further object of the invention is to pro- 5 vide a lplurality of primary piston chambers wherein vthe heating and cooling operations above referred to are carried out, each of said primary piston chambers having combined with it a secondary piston chamber which is o in constant communication therewith, and the `piston of which is combined with the crank shaft in such a'manner'that the period of effective power generation produced by the expanding air in each set of piston chambers is lengthened.

Another object of the inventionfis to provide an improved. heating radiating construction for a piston chamber of a hot air engine whereby a large piston vchamber may be fur 0 nished without so great an expense as has heretofore been necessary.

Other objects, advantages and features of the invention may hereinafter appear.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which illustrate what is at present deemed to be a preferred embodiment of the inventi n.

Fig. 1 is a vertical mid-section of one of the primary piston chambers and its related parts, the view including also one of the secondary piston chambers, with. which it cooperates. v The `primary piston chamber is sectioned on line 1-1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a vtransverse section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows in a Vdiagrammatic manner a series of sets of piston chambers arranged according to the principles of the invention each primary piston chamber being shown -per end portion 32 which communicates with which cooperates therewith.

Fig. 4 is a fragmental sectional view showin a modified form of the invention.

ig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of 55 Fig. 1, similar to Fig. 4.

Referring indetail to the drawings, the x primary piston cylinder 7 comprises the piston cylinder proper 8 which contains a piston Shank 9, said shank being 'extended up- 60 wardly and having its upper portion diametrically enlarged to form a hollow cylindrical member 11 which has its periphery covered with a series of longitudinally extending open-ended heat radiating tubes 12.

The piston cylinder proper 8 has a diametrically enlarged upwardly extending portion 15, the upper partof which forms the combustion or heating chamber 16 while the associated with a secondary piston chamber lower gart thereof forms the cooling chamber lso that anv annular clearance 17 remains 75 around said heat radiating tubes.

Around about the lower third of' the enlarged cylinder portion 15 is placed a cooling jacket or water tank 20 within which cold water is circulated. Around about the upper two-thirds of the cylinderportion 15 is placed 8 a heating jacket 23,'said heating jacket being provided with acombustion chamber 24 above the upper end of the cylinder 15, said combustion chamber having an intake passage 25 into which is projected a heating 85 Aflame from a burner nozzle26. It is to be understoodthat the heated chamber 16 is enclosed on all sides, a top closure wall 27 intervening between the combustion chamber 2l and the air chamber 16. 90

` In order to accelerate the alternate heating andv cooling of the air contained within the chamber 16, a series of circularly arranged fluctuation or surge pipes 30 are arranged, the upper portions of said pipes being surrounded by the heating jacket 23 and their lower portions being surrounded by the cooling acket 20. Each fluctuation or surge pipe 30 is provided with an inwardly directed up- `|345 chamber 16bisof as the upper portion of the chamber 16, and with an inwardly directed lower end portion 32a which communicates with the lower portion of said chamber 16. y

The heating chamber 24 within the jacket 23, has near its lower end, a circular recess 33 and at one side of the jacket a discharge flue 34 conducting roducts of combustion from the heating jac et. The heating jacket 23 is provided with a filling 23a of fire-clay or like refractory material.

The secondary piston cylinder 40 of each pair or set of piston cylinders has within it a iston 40m and has its upper end connected oi the air chamber 16, a valve 42xhaving1an operating arm 43 being shown on pipe 41 to throttle or cut od the circulation of air through said pipe when it is desired to retard the speed of the engine or to stop its operation.

The primary piston cylinder.8 is provided with a piston having a head 45 which is connected to the crank shaft 46 by means of the piston rod 51and pin 52.l The piston rods 47 and 51 are shown connected with the crank shaft 46 at an angle of approximately 90 with relation to each other. This arrangement of the piston rods 47 and 51 which comprises each set of cooperating pistons is provided in order that the effective expansive force of the air in the chamber 16 during each period of expanse may be more fully utilized in the generation of power, as will hereinafter be more fully explained.

through a crank case 55 having the iioor portion 56 upwardl from which extends a plurality of webs 5 which support the bearing sleeves 58 for the crank shaft 46. The piston cylinders 8 and 40 are preferably provided with external :flanges 60 and these flanges rest upon the top wall 61 of the crank case, openings being provided in said wall 61 into which the lower end portions of the piston cylinders 8 and 40 are fit-ted'. if"

The crank case 55 is of a nearly air-tight character, means being provided to maintain within said crank case during the operation of the engine, considerable air pressure pref- ,Referring to certain details of construc. tion, the crank shaft 46 l. preferably extends means of a pipe 41 with the lower portion radiating to be vertically above the body portion of each of the surge pipes 30 so that said pipes `may be straight throughout their upper portions and -yet may be connected with said chamber 16b. This construction avoids the necessity of providing each surge pipe with a deflected or bent u per end portion.

In this modification the heatingjchamher 24 of Fig. l is replaced by an annular heating chamber 24a: which surrounds the passage 16a and through which the u per portions of the surge pipes 30 extend. e burner passage 25:1: communicates with said chamber 24x. The other parts shown in Fig. 4 are constructed inthe same manner as. shown in Fig. 1 and will aid in understanding the latter view. The cylindrical member 11, which is of reater diameter than the piston shank 9, is lled with mineral wool 11a: the filling thereof also extending down to the piston shank 9. A closure plate '11a is shown secured t0 the upper end of the cylindrical member 11 to keep the mineral wool in place. `By using mineral wool or like material which is non-conductive of heat, the heat is prevented from being transferred to an considerable extent from the heating jac et 23 to the cooling yjacket 20.

In the operation of the engine, while the primar piston islmoving downwardly, the air in t e upper portion of the chamber 16 is expanded isothermically, heat being conveyed to the air from the heat` radiatin elements within the heating jacket 23. ork done by the portion of the air within the heat pipes 12 causes such air to give up c heat as the rpiston moves up and its speci to recover its heat as the piston moves down.

erably about ten atmospheres. Forthis purose a pu'mp6a ma be mounted upon or adjacent to the cra case, said pump being shownin Fig. 1 as operated by the eccentric 6b which is secured to'the shank 46, a rod 6o forming an operating connection between said plump and said cam.

In ig. 4 is. shown a modified construction for a primary piston 4 cylinder 7. In said view the chamber 16 communicates by means of a passage 16a with an auxiliary air cham- .ber 1Gb which forms the upper` ortion of the chamber of theliston cylin er. Said ciently great diameter When the piston moves up the air in the lower portion of the chamber 16 is contracted isothermicall work being done on the air by cooling it. ithin the piston cylinder 40 the air expands adiabatically, doing work and loosing heat.

While the primary piston is completing its downward movement and beginning its upward movement, the secondary piston 40:1: travels downwardly through the greater part of its movement thereby lengthening the period of eiective power generation produced by the expanding air within the chamber 16.

The multiplicity of open-ended heat conducting tubes 12 which surroundfthe extension ,11 contributes to the quick change of temperature inthe air thus producing a very eicient engine of the class to which the invention pertains. Said tubes perform this function by absorbing the heat from the air as it descends through them, and then returning to the air this heat as the air is forced up- 125 wardly from the cooling area. l.

I claim: f Y

1. In anengine of the kind described, a piston cylinder having a diametricall enarged end portion which forms an air am- 5 ber, afpiston member havin a shank portion Which has a Working fit Wlthin the art of said piston cylinder which is not en arged,

said piston having an extension occupyin said chamber, said extension belng provide with temperature radiating elements, the end ortion .of said chamber which is farthest rom said piston being provided with a conf tracted neck portion, and a jacket provided with a heating chamber which surrounds said contractedl neck portion.

2. In anl engine of the kind described, a piston cylinder having a diametrically eniarged end portion which forms an air cham-A ber a piston member 'having a shank portion which has a Working vfit Within the part of said piston cylinder which is not enlarged, said piston having an extension occupying said chamber, said extension being provided with temperature radiating elements, the end ortion of said chamber which is farthest from said piston being provided with acontractedneck portion, there being beyond said end portion of said -chamber an air chamber which communicates with the' body portion ofthe piston chamber through said contracti ed'neck portion, and a jacket provided with a heating chamber which surrounds said contracted neck portion and supplies heat thereto and alsoheats said air chamben at'one end of said neck portion' and the part of said piston chamber adjacent to the other end of said neck portion. i

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aix my signature., l

BRUNO MONTERG.` 

